Continuous motion machine for heating,forming,and sealing container closures



Sept. 2, 1969 H. B. EGLESTON 3,464,326

CONTINUOUS MOTION MACHINE FOR HEATING, FORMING, AND SEALING CONTAINER CLOSURES Filed May 16, 1967 ll Sheets-Sheet l FlG.l

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CONTINUOUS MOTION MACHINE FOR HEATING, FORMING, AND SEALING CONTAINER CLOSURES Filed May 16, 1967 ll Sheets-Sheet 2 F l G. 2

19 6% A TTOR/VEV Sept. 2, 1969 EGLESTON 3,464,326

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Sept. 2, 1969 H. B. EGLESTON 3,464,326

CONTINUOUS MOTION MACHINE FOR HEATING, FORMING, AND

SEALING CONTAINER CLOSURES ll Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed May 16, 1967 ATTORNEYS CONTINUOUS MOTION MACHINE FOR HEATING FORMING, AND

SEALING CONTAINER CLOSURES ll Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed May 16, 1967 ATTORNEY Sept. 2, 1969 EGLESTON 3,464,326

CONTINUOUS MOTION MACHINE FOR HEATING, FORMING, AND

SEALING CONTAINER CLOSURBS Filed May 16, 1967 ll Sheets-Sheet 9 F I 3. IO

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CONTINUOUS MOTION MACHINE FOR HEATING FORMING AND SEALING CONTAINER CLOSURES Filed May 16, 1967 ll Sheets-Sheet ll 7 g i l i INVENTOR. 649.68) 6. 64 [arc/v W I. 50m

A TTORNEY United States Patent 3,464,326 CONTINUOUS MOTION MACHINE FOR HEAT- ING, FORMING, AND SEALING CONTAINER CLOSURES Harry B. Egleston, Livonia, Mich., assignor to Ex-Cell-O Corporation Filed May 16, 1967, Ser. No. 640,444 Int. Cl. B31b 1/06, 1/64 U.S. Cl. 93-44.1 31 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A container bottom forming apparatus having a reciprocating container carrier for receiving series of containers of diiferent capacities wherein their bottom closures are at a uniform working level for treatment by the apparatus and transferring the containers from the apparatus with their top closures at a uniform working level. The containers are moved on the apparatus in continuous motion between aligned vertically spaced heating and pressure sealing units and a folding unit wherein the folding unit is operative on each container between the heating and sealing operations.

The present invention relates in general to container packaging machines, and more particularly to a novel and improved continuous motion rotary heating, forming, and sealing machine for the bottom closure of thermoplastic coated paperboard containers. The machine finds particular, but not exclusive utility when used in cooperation with a filling and top sealing machine for gable top container such as the machine disclosed in copending patent application of No. 448,545 of Harry B. Egleston, now Patent No. 3,370,399, issued Feb. 27, 1968, and assigned to the same assignee as the instant application. By machines of the continuous motion type it is meant that the containers being formed by the machine are moved through the latter in a continuous procession at a substantially constant rate, the.various operations being carried on while the container blanks are in motion rather than while they are momentarily halted. One machine of this general type is disclosed in U.S. Patent 2,770,175, issued Nov. 13, 1956, in the name of James F. Earp. However, machines of this type were designed for containers that required coating with parafiin or wax after being formed and have no prior art application to the machine of the instant disclosure for forming plastic coated paperboard containers employing fold-in type bottom closures.

A disadvantage of the prior art paperboard containers forming machines is that they operate with an intermittent motion which limits the speed of operation and the number of containers which can be formed by such machines. A further disadvantage of such prior art bottom forming machines is that when they are adaptable to produce a series of containers on common mandrels, such as the half-pint through quart series having the same cross-section but varying heights, it has not heretofore been possible to maintain the tubular container blank in an upright vertical position during the entire operation. The prior art machines which use other means, such as the spider wheel arrangement shown in US. Patent 3,249,025, for example, require additional time, space and equipment to orientate the container into an upright-vertical position prior to delivery to the filling unit of the machine.

In view of the foregoing, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved combined heating, forming and sealing machine for paperboard container bottom closures which operates with a 3,464,326 Patented Sept. 2, 1969 continuous motion and perform the heating, forming and seahng operations at high speeds.

It is another object of the present invention to provide vnovel and improved rotary heating and sealing machine for forming the bottom closure of paperboard containers which operates with a continuous rotary motion so that the tubular container blank is vertically oriented during the entire operation.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved combined heating, forming, and sealing machine for thermoplastic coated containers which heats, forms and seals the bottom closure of the containers more quickly than the corresponding prior art machines so that the time interval between heating and scaling is shortened, and the heating operation is carried out at one elevation of the container while the forming and sealing operations are carried out at a second higher elevation such that the difference between the two elevations is constant for a series of containers having common cross-sections but variable heights.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved heating, forming and sealing machine for paperboard container bottom closures which functions to selectively heat only the sealing areas of the container bottom end closure panels prior to the folding or pre-breaking any of the score lines of the closure.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved forming machine for paperboard container bottom, ends which may be used for containers of diiferent capacities that have the same crosssection, such that the bottom closures follow a common path throughout the forming cycle while the containers are transferred from the machine with their top ends positioned at a constant elevation for continuous delivery to a container filling machine.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved forming machine for paperboard container bottom ends which embodies a novel pressure sealing assembly that moves continuously during a sealing operation whereby it is actuated by a pair of cooperating cam means for precisely controlling the amount and direction of sealing pressure.

The combination continuous heating, folding, sealing and stripping machine of the present invention includes a rotary assembly which is provided with a plurality of stations each having paired vertically spaced heating and sealing units and a single folding unit. The rotary assembly is constructed and arranged to coact with any suitable container filling and top sealing machine. A plurality of vertically reciprocable container carriers mounted on the rotary assembly each pick up a tubular blank during a first or load cycle and continue to rotate while recipro- 7 cycle, after which the carriers are moved downward where the containers are discharged without stopping the rotary assembly. When the container carrier on the rotary assembly picks up a tubular container at the loading cycle, the container is disposed automatically in vertical alignment above the container bottom end heater means such that when the carrier is cammed downwardly the closure panels are lowered between opposed walls of the heater means. Simultaneously, the heater means are rotated into communication with a. fixed arcuate plenum chamber which delivers heated air under pressure to the heater means. The container carrier holding the tubular container is moved through a predetermined distance along a circular path at the end of which the carrier is reciprocated upwardly from the heater means and the container is loaded on a mandrel depending from the assembly in vertical alignment with the heater means. The rotary assembly carrying the loaded mandrel is moved through a next predetermined distance along the circular path over a closure breaking, folding and tucking apparatus fixed on the machine base. Each station on the assembly is provided with a pressure sealing arm which is pivoted radially outwardly, by first camming means, after its associated loaded mandrel passes the folding apparatus. Second arcuate shaped cammed means, commencing past the folding apparatus, engages a pressure pad extension on the arm and solely by means of a pressure pad follower applies controlled sealing pressure normal to the closure surface. Pressure is applied through a predetermined distance along the circular path of the arcuate cam at the end of which the first camming means is again actuated to pivot the pressure arm inwardly. The container carrier is next cammed downwardly to strip the formed container from the mandrel such that containers having different capacities can be discharged from the machine with their top closures at a common level. All the container carriers positioned over the heating plenum are retracted automatically in the event that vacuum air pressure is lost, or the machine stops, in order to prevent overheating of the containers.

Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, appended claims, and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a forming machine for container bottom closures made in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a reduced side elevational view of an illustrative container erecting, filling and closing machine embodying the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the illustrative machine of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, horizontal diagrammatic view taken partially in the plane of line 44 in FIG. 2 and detailing certain elements adapted to cooperate with the bottom forming turret.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view through the bottom forming turret, taken in the plane of the line 55 in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the bottom forming turret with its cover removed.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary, vertical sectional view taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 6 showing the carrier mechanism.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary plan view detailing the carrier mechanism of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a developed view of the container carrier cam track shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged, fragmentary elevation showing one of the mandrels carried by the bottom forming turret together with its associated container carrier and bottom heating unit.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary elevation showing the outer face of the container carrier of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged vertical sectional view detailing the pressure sealing members of the turret, taken along line 1212 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the inside face of the container blank.

FIG. 14 is a plan view of a flat collapsed side seamed container blank in the form in which it is presented to the machine of FIG. 1 for processing.

FIG. 15 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing the bottom closure elements of the blank and container of FIGS. 13 and 14.

FIG. 16 is a perspective of the container end closure after it has been formed and heat sealed.

FIG. 17 is a modification of the pressure sealing means of FIG. 12.

FIG. 18 is a top elevation view of the apparatus of FIG. 17.

FIG. 19 is an enlarged view showing the containers stripping clip indicated as FIG. 19 in FIG. 10.

The packaging machine of the present invention is particularly adapted to heat, form and seal the bottom end closure panels of cartons or containers of the type shown in United States Patent No. 3,120,335 and 3,270,- 940 which issued on Feb. 4, 1964 and Sept. 6, 1966, respectively an application of H. B. Egleston and C. Z. Monroe. These applications are assigned to the assignee of the subject application, and the disclosures thereof are incorporated herein by reference. For a complete description of a container which may be heated and sealed by the machine of the present invention reference should be made to the aforementioned patents. The container described in this application is made from paperboard having a polyethylene coating thereon, but it should be understood that any suitable thermoplastic coating may be employed as a coating for the container.

Before proceeding with the description of the heating and sealing machine of the present invention, the bottom end closure panel structure of an illustrative container C (FIG. 1) will be briefly and generally described. As shown more particularly in FIG. 13, the container C is in flat blank form 40 pressed with a pattern of appropriate score lines and having its inside surface showing. The blank is separated into three sections by score lines 41 and 42. The material above score line 41 is the top closure described in the aforementioned US. Patent 3,270,940; The material between the score lines 41 and 42 is the body group and comprises four panels, 43 through 46, and side seam fiap 47. The body group is defined on the sides by edges 48, 49 and with the panels being separated by score lines 51 through 54. The material below score line 42 is the bottom closure group and comprises the major bottom closure panels 55, 57 fold-in panels 56, 58 fold-under or gusset panels, 63, 64, 67, 68, flaps 61, 62 and side seam flap 47. The bottom closure group of panels defined on the sides by the edges 48, 49 are separated by score lines 51 through 54. The major bottom closure panel 55 has the extended tuck-in fiap 61 and major bottom closure panel 57 has the extended tuckover flap 62. The bottom fold-in panel 56 is flanked by the triangular gusset panels 63, 64 are connected thereto by score lines 66, respectively. Similarly, the bottom foldin panel 58 is flanked by the triangular gusset panels 67, 68 that are connected thereto by score lines 72, 71 respectively.

To form the flat side seam blank of FIG. 14, that is presented to the forming machine, the panel 46 and side seam flap 47 are folded about score line 53 until their inside surfaces contact the inside surfaces of panels 45 and 44 respectively. The panel 43 is folded about score line 51 until it contacts the inside surface of panel 44 and the outside surface of side seam flap 47. The surface along edge 48, which will meet the outside edge of the side seam flap, will be heated together with the outside surface of the side seam flap 47 to activate their thermoplastic coating so that the two surfaces will be bonded together when pressed together and cooled. The edge 48 and the score line 54 now appear asone line. The bottom closure portion of flat container blank 40 now looks like the side seam container blank as shown in FIGURE 14.

When the container C is loaded on a machine carrier, it takes a tubular shape, as seen in FIG. 15. To form the bottom initially the triangular panels 56, 58 are moved inward toward each other, after which the major panels 55 and 57 are also moved inward toward each other. This causes gusset panel 68 to rotate around score line 71 so that the inside surface of panels 68 and 55 are coming together. At the same time panel 68 is rotating about score line 71 the outside surfaces of panel 68 and 58 are approaching each other. Fold-under panels 63, 64 and 67 make the same movements as panel 68 with the panels 55-56, 56-57, and 57-58 respectively. Bottom closure panel 55 moves toward bottom closure panel 57 just enough faster than panel 57 moves toward panel 55 so that tuck-in flap 61 is positioned between fold-under panels 64, 67 and panel 57. After the closure is completely formed and sealed it appears as shown in FIG. 16.

General machine description Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the illustrative packaging machine 100 is adapted to receive a supply of flat folded tubular blanks such as the ones illustrated in FIG. 14 and described earlier herein. The blanks are stacked, top up, in a magazine 101 from which they are successively withdrawn by means of a rotary feeder 102, erected into open ended tubular form and loaded onto the continuously rotating bottom forming apparatus 103 which heats, folds and seals the container bottom closure. After being transferred by rotary transfer unit 104 and filled by the rotary turret filler 105 the filled and partially completed containers, open at the top, are presented by transfer unit 106- to a rotary heating and top sealing turret 107. The filled and sealed containers are then conveyed by means 108 and delivered to the conveyor 109 for discharge in a continuous procession from the machine. It is to be understood that the bottom forming apparatus 103 of the present invention may be used with any suitable container filling and sealing machine. While in the present instance the bottom forming apparatus 103 is shown in conjunction with the Container Top Sealing Apparatus as shown and described in copending United States patent application No. 448,545 of H. B. Egleston, filed Apr. 15, 1965, it is to be understood that other suitable container filling and sealing machines could operate with the disclosed apparatus. The application No. 448,545 is assigned to the assignee of the subject application, and the disclosure thereof is incorporated herein by reference.

The apparatus 103 comprises a console or base 110 supported on legs 111 and supplied with utilities such as electric power, compressed air and cooling water from appropriate external sources 112. The magazine 101 is mounted on top of the base at the front end of the machine 100 and operatively associated with the magazine is the rotary feeder mechanism 102 of the general type shown and described in United States Patent 2,936,681, issued May 17, 1960, on an application of J. F. Earp. This patent is assigned to the assignee of the subject application, and the disclosure thereof is incorporated herein by reference.

As indicated diagrammatically in FIG. 4 the feeder mechanism 102 operates so that the foremost side seamed blank is pulled from the magazine 101 and carried to the squaring and discharge stations by means of a continuously rotating turret 113. There the container blank is advanced into contact with rails 114 which square the container along its pro-scored lines and apply reverse bends to the scores so that the container retains its shape when it is introduced into the bottom forming mechanism. The feeder is provided with a plurality of suction devices 115 spaced approximately 90 apart around its periphery so that as the feeder rotates, the suction devices are brought into contact with the forwardmost blank in the magazine.

The feeder 102 delivers the blank to a container carrier 120 (FIG. 1) of the bottom forming apparatus 103 at the load station generally indicated by the numeral 122 in FIG. 4. The squared tubular containers are reciprocated vertically by their individual carriers 120 as they are revolved in a circular travel period during which time the containers go through a bottom closure heating operation 124, a bottom folding operation 126, a pres sure sealing operation 128, and a mandrel stripping operation 130. As indicated in FIG. 4, the bottom formed containers are discharging from the apparatus at station 132 at which point they are transferred to the rotary transfer unit 104 and the containers are ready to be filled and sealed.

The bottom forming turret The bottom forming unit 103 comprises a pedestal (FIG. 5) fixably mounted on the machine base 110 and supporting a pressure pad cam track member 151 thereon. Supported in the base 110 is a vertically disposed stationary tubular shaft 152 having fixed upon its upper end, by means of spacer clamp 153 and key 154, carrier lifter cam 155. Cam 155 has a thickened periphery 156 which has formed therein an outwardly opening slot 158, this slot forming the cam track. Mounted upon the shaft 152 so as to be freely rotatable about the vertical axis of the shaft 152 is a rotary assembly 160 including a center column 161, the mounting means for which preferably comprising bearings as indicated at 162 and 163. The rotary assembly includes a housing turret 164 provided with a tapered web 165 the lower edge fixably supporting annular heater carrier 166 and which is insulated therefrom by air batfies 167. The housing turret 164 is supported from center column 161 by means of the upper housing ring 168 secured, as by bolts, upon center column flange 169 such that it rotates as part of rotary assembly 160.

The uppermost portion of the rotary assembly 160 comprises a circular plate 170 together with water manifold 172 and vacuum manifold 173 which are secured to the plate 170 by means of clamping blocks 171. A stationary vacuum control plate 174 and vacuum feeder plate 175 are positioned on the shaft 152 such that control plate 174 is in abutting engagement with the lower surface of the vacuum manifold 173. Two spaced arcuate recesses are formed in the vacuum control plate upper surface and communicate with suction devices on each carrier 120 through individual radiating flexible conduits only one of which is being shown at 176. The vacuum control plate is in communication with a suitable vacuum pump and either an atmospheric or greater than atmospheric pressure source by means of supply pipes 177. Coolant water is conveniently withdrawn via a control discharge line 178 running longitudinally of the stationary support shaft 152 and introduced via a supply conduit 179 also housed in the support shaft in spaced surrounding relation with the discharge line. The water manifold 172 is connected via flexible line 180 to portions of the apparatus and back via flexible return line 181. The latter communicates with discharge line 178.

Around the outer periphery of plate 170 are fixably mounted a plurality of round vertical guide bracket posts 185, there being fifteen such posts in the embodiment shown (FIG. 6). The lower ends of the post extend into the aligned sockets 186 located in the housing ring 168. For the purpose of raising and lowering each container carrier 120 as required during the bottom forming operation, there are provided quick-acting lever assemblies 188, only one of which is shown in FIG. 6.

Carrier lifting assemblies As best shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a carrier lifting bracket 190 is slidably mounted on each post 185 for vertical reciprocation thereon. Rotatably mounted on the inner side of each bracket 190 is a cam follower Wheel 191, which rides on the stationary cam 155. The lever assemblies 188 are each provided with an upwardly extending spring rod 192 having its lower threaded end located in sockets 193 in housing ring 168 and anchored thereto by nut 194. The spring rod 192 extends through opening 195 formed in the flange 196 of bracket 190. A vertical spring guide sleeve 197, secured to the upper face of flange 196 by means of retainer 198, encircles the spring rod. Lifter helical spring 200 is carried on the spring rod so that it bottoms in socket 193 while extending upwardly into sleeve 197 to abut at the top of the sleeve and retained in compression thereby. The upper end of rod 192 is threaded to receive a nut 201 which secures a stop disc 202 to limit the upward travel of bracket 190.

The lifter shaft 204 is linked to the lever 206, wh ch is pivotally secured on the bracket 190 for oscillation about its pivot pin 207. As shown in FIG. 5, the shaft 204 is guidably journaled for reciprocation in upper houslng ring 168 by means of housing bushing 208; and allgned bushing collar 209 supported on bracket 190 by means of a pair of aligning arms 210 so as to retain bushing collar 209 in fixed relation to bracket 190. The lever 206 has its short arm 211 pivotally secured by pin 203 to one end of short rod link 213. The opposite end of link 213 is pivoted on pin 205 carried on housing bracket 219 fixed on upper housing ring 168. Carrier lifter arm 216 is fixably secured to the upper end of carrier shaft 204 while the long rod link 214 is connected by pivot pin 215 to one end of the lifter arm 216. The opposite end of the link 214 is pivoted by means of pin 217 to the long arm portion 212 of the lever 206. Upwardly extending guide post 185 has journaled thereon ball slide collar 218 and, by means of collar bracket 219, is secured to the left-hand end of lifter arm 216 so that it is concentric with guide bushing 220 in guide bracket 190.

Each carrier shaft 204 is thus free to move vertically on its associated guide rod 185. The radially inner end of lever pin 207 rotatably supports a cam follower 191 that rides on the cam track 158 of fixed cam member 155. As a result of the foregoing arrangement of elements, each of the guide brackets 190, together with its oscillating lever 206, moves upwards and downwards in response to the configuration of cam track 158 as assembly 160 revolves about tubular shaft 152; and in so doing, each lifter arm 216 urges its associated carrier shaft 204 and container carrier element 120 to move in the same direction. In this manner a multiplication factor of the order of three to one is achieved as indicated by the dashed line uppermost position of carrier arm 216 and shaft 204 when lever 206 is at its dashed line position shown in FIG. 7.

An important feature of the present invention is the provision for automatic vertical movement of each container carrier 120 and the means employed to effect that movement in response to machine stoppage or loss of sufficient air pressure to operate the pneumatic portions of the machine such as the suction cup container holding means. The rotary motion of the turret, as described in the preceding paragraph, normally permits the lever arm 206 to pivot downwardly and to move its associated carrier 120 toward its aligned heater unit. In accordance with this invention, when a loss of air pressure occurs, the carrier 120 is raised so that its container will be raised vertically away from its heater unit to prevent overheating of the containers. The means for raising the carriers will now be described.

As best seen in the developed view of FIG. 9, the upwardly biased cam follower 191 is cammed downwardly during the 20 angular travel between the 345 and positions by the cam track 222 of a retractable heater cam insert 223. When this cam insert is in its normal position, cam track 222 presents to follower 191 an effectively unbroken upper cam surface that forms a continuation with the upper surface of cam track 158. When insert cam 223 is retracted from the carrier cam track 158, as hereinafter explained, the contour is altered as shown by the broken-line position of insert cam 223.

The heater segment cam 223 is provided with a pair of spaced apart bosses 225 and 226 for slidable mounting of the same on the vertical posts 227 and 228, respectively (FIGS. 5 and 6). The posts 227, 228 extend through boss members 225, 226 on the segment cam, and are bolted thereto by means of plates 224. As shown in FIG. 6, the bosses 225, 226 are interconnected by the integral brace portion 229 of the segment cam 223. The cam 223 further includes an arcuately shaped body 230 which is integrally formed with the brace member 229. The numerals 231 and 232 in FIG. 9 indicate the entrance and exit ends of the cam track 222 formed by the arcuate depending flange of the segment cam. The follower 191 is held in a dwell position for a cycle of 78 (5-83) during which period the container closure panels are positioned in close proximity to a heater unit 364 (FIG. 10) for heating the same in a selective manner as will be explained later. When the follower 191 reaches the position shown by the 83 line, the follower is biased upwardly during the next 14 angular movement whereupon it rolls from the upwardly slanting portion of cam track 222 back to cam track 158.

The retraction of cam segment 223 from its normal position on cam member 155 is responsive to means that operate during the absence or partial loss of compressed air. This operating means includes a vertically positioned air cylinder rod 236 (FIG. 6), secured to the cam segment brace 229 by means of plate 237 and is operatively mounted in a suitable air cylinder (not shown) fixedly positioned on upper housing ring 168. During normal machine operation the air cylinder is operated by suitable control means to move the cam segment downwardly together with the engaged followers 191 a distance of approxixately /s inch, in the instant embodiment of the invention, to its solid line location in FIG. 9. In this regard it should be noted that a plurality of followers 191 will be in operative engagement with the came segment 223 at any one instant of time and the air cylinder will be of a size to exert sufficient downward pressure on the cam segment to overcome the combined coil springs 200 associated with each follower 191 engaging the cam. The instant the compressed air pressure drops below a predetermined amount or fails the air cylinder will be unable to hold down the cam segment and the segment will, under the urging of springs 200, raise the containers away from the heater units. In the instant form of the invention the containers are raised approximately 2% inches or a suflicient amount to safely clear the selective heaters 364. It will thus be noted that by means of applicants unique carrier lifter assemblies 188 a multiplication factor of approximately 2.7 is attained to insure quick positive movement of the containers away from the heaters. Also, the compact assemblies allow for an optimum number of working stations on the turret to thereby increase production without increasing the machine to an uneconomic size.

Also, as seen in FIG. 6, by virtue of the upward movement of the cam segment 223 a horizontal arm 240 fixedly attached thereto, has its other end attached to a vertical plunger of a microswitch 241. The retraction of the cam 223 causes a breaking of the microswitch circuit with the resultant loss of electrical power to the main drive motor and stoppage of the entire machine. It should be noted that the slot portion of the cam track 158 underlying the heater segment cam 223 is higher to allow for positive stoppage of the vertical movement of the followers 191 by the upper surface of the track 158. Thus relatively small, controlled vertical travel of the followers 191 is multiplied by means of the unique carrier lifting assemblies to accurately and quickly reciprocate the containers to their various working levels in a reliable manner.

Synopsis of operation Outlining briefly the bottom forming means for continuously processing the containers and their order of operation, a tubular container blank is loaded onto the container carrier during a 23 dwell loading cycle indicated at 122 in FIG. 4. The squared tubular blanks are lowered by the carriers during a 20 fall period at which time the bottom closures are subjected to a heating cycle 124 of approximately 78 degree angular travel by means of individual heating assemblies 364, carried by an annular plate secured to the turret, for each of the fifteen working stations. The heating assembly (FIG. 10)

9 is particularly described and claimed in the copending application Ser. No. 636,061, filed May 4, 1967, now Patent No. 3,392,458, issued July 16, 1968, by Eric A. Braun and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

After the container closure is heated to activate its thermoplastic coating the carrier 120 is cammed upwardly and rises during the next 35 angular movement to load the container on it individual mandrel fixed in spaced relation on the rotating turret 103 for each working station. When the carrier has reached its elevated position at the end of the 35 rise the container closure is at the position C shown in FIG. 1 where the closure is next closed by the breaking, folding and tucking apparatus 126 positioned at the beginning of the 104 dwell cycle. The folding mean is particularly described and claimed in the copending application Ser. No. 634,633, filed Apr. 28, 1967, now Patent No. 3,398,659, issued Aug. 27, 1968, by Harry B. Egleston and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

After the closure is folded the container remains at its elevated position during the remainder of the 104 dwell cycle. Within this 104 dwell cycle there i a pressure sealing operation 128 that commences at approximately 30 of elevated angular travel and continues during substantially a 72 angular travel period.

The containers are finally stripped from the mandrels during the 45 fall cycle 130 of the carriers after which the container continues around the turret in an approximate 39 dwell cycle until it is delivered to the rotary transfer unit 104 by discharge rails which delivers the container to the rotary filler 105 (FIG. 3).

Container carrier loading description Referring generally to FIGS. 4 and the containers loading operation during cycle 122 will now be described. The suction devices 115 are advanced and retracted as described in the aforementioned US. Patent 2,936,681, as the rotary feeder 113 functions to engage a collapsed tubular blank in the magazine 101 and to draw the blank towards the turret 113 to withdraw it from the magazine. The nozzles remain retracted until the turret has been turned to the position for discharging the tubular container C into a carrier 120 (FIG. 10) which is rotating on turret 103 in timed relation to the rotation of the feeder 113. At this point the nozzles 115 are again advanced and retracted and cam mechanism causes the nozzles to move outwardly thereby positioning the containers between the container guides 255 of the carrier assembly 120.

As will be noted in FIG. 4 the carrier assembly 120 is elevated to the 23 dwell period during the loading cycle. The carrier assembly 120 includes a container carrier indicated generally at 250 in FIG. 10, keyed at 249 to shaft 204, having a movable bracket 251 mounted thereon. The bracket 251, which comprises a plurality of suction devices 252, is advanced and retracted radially from the turret 103, being advanced to engage the tubular container and thereafter retracted to draw the blank against the upper and lower container rests 253 and 254, respectively.

The aforesaid suction devices comprise, in the instant embodiment, top, center and bottom carrier nozzles threadably or otherwise secured in the bracket 251 and communicating with a vertical bore 256 in said bracket. A suitable passage 257 in shaft 204 and carrier 250 communicates with the bore 256 through a flexible conduit (not shown) to establish sub-atmospheric pressure in each suction device and the reestablishment of atmospheric or greater than atmospheric pressure in the devices at pre cisely timed periods in the cycle of operation of the vacuum manifold 173. The suction devices 252 of the instant embodiments are three nozzles and each communi cate with the central bore 256 by means of feeder bores 258. To obtain a seal between the surfaces of the blank 10 and the nozzle 252, a flexible suction cup 259 (FIG. 11) is secured at the outer end of each nozzle.

The suction cups 259 of the nozzles are advanced so as to extend approximately of an inch past the working surface of the upper and lower container rests when the assembly 120 is at a container pick-up position opposite feed-er nozzles 115. The bracket 251 is spring biased in its retracted position shown in FIG. 10, by means of coil springs 261 positioned around rod members 262 having one end fixedly attached to carrier 250 and their other end slidably mounted in bracket 251. The cam 263 for operating the carrier nozzles 252 is located on the end of the pivotal bottom pressure sealing apparatus (FIG. 12), generally indicated at 500 whose operation will be described later. Suffice to say that the cam 263 moves into timed engagement with bracket 251 in response to the pressure cam 151 to extend vacuum nozzles 252 to pick up the container at the same time that the feeder nozzles vacuum releases the container to the carrier nozzles 252. This occurs when both nozzles 115 and 252 are on an exact radial centerline to each other. The cam 263 can be adjusted to change the dimension of the vacuum discs 259 past the surface of the container rests by moving the' cam up on the member 500 for an increase in the dimension and down for a decrease in dimension.

It will thus be seen that by means of applicants unique carrier assembly a series of containers having the same cross-section but varying side panel heights, as shown by the quart through /2 pint series in FIG. 10, can be loaded on the carrier in operative position. In the case of the full quart container all three suction cup discs 259 will be used while the full pint container will engage only the lower two discs and the one-third quart and one-half pint containers will be retained only by the lowermost vacuum disc. A valve member 264 is located to cut-01f the upper two discs during the forming of the one-half pint containers and thereby increase the holding ability of the lowermost vacuum disc. A stripper clip 265 is bolted to the outer face of carrier 250 to engage the upper edge of a container during the mandrel stripping operation to be described. To summarize, the bottom closure for any container of a preselected series of containers of uniform cross-section having different capacities will be at a common working level to allow proper closure formation by the machine of the present invention.

Heating section The heating section 124 is described in the related copending application of Eric A. Braun mentioned in a prior paragraph, and to which reference may be had for detailed description. Very briefly, it includes a center hot air distributor head 380 and a pair of side heaters 396 mounted by means of plate 372 on the rotating annular manifold 166 (FIG. 10). Hot air is fed under pressure from the burners into inlet extensions, indicated generally at 338 and 340 in FIG. 4 into an arcuate shaped plenum chamber 300, fixedly mounted on base 110 which communicates with the heater unit 364 by means of openings in manifold 166. As explained in the Braun application the plenum'chamber 300 is mounted on the base 110 by means of studs that spring load the upper edges of the plenum in fixed contact to the underside of the rotating manifold plate 166. FIG. 10 shows a one quart container held by the vacuum disc 259 against the vertical container rests 253, 254 and guides 255 to form and hold a near true rectangular or square cross-section. This is important to insure that the unbroken container closure is equally spaced from the heater side plates and the center distributor. It should be noted in this regard that the sides of the rectangular head 380 and the vertical heater walls 398 are maintained in a paralled predetermined distance from each other. The result is that when the container closure is moved down over the center distributor head applicant is able to employ a minimum of heated air pressure while attaining accurate selective heating of the thermoplastic coating on the closure panels.

Folding section The breaking, folding and tucking section 126 is described in the related copending application of Harry B. Egleston referred to above, and to which reference may be had for a detailed description. However, applicant does not intend to limit the instant application to the specific tucking apparatus of the above application andother types of apparatus, such as disclosed in US. Patents 3,166,994 and 3,187,647, for example, could be used without departing from the scope of the instant invention. As seen in FIG. 4 the disclosed apparatus comprises a pair of relatively short, upstanding spindles 451 mounted on column 452, and arranged in laterally spaced and radially aligned position relative to the rotational axis of the turret 103. The spindles are adapted to rotate in unison but in opposite directions with the outboard spindle rotating in a clockwise direction while the inboard spindle rotates in a counterclockwise direction. The spindles carry on their lower portion breaker fingers 453 adapted to operate on gusset panels 56 and 58 of the bottom closure and adjacent their upper ends follower blades 454 to operate on the tuck-in flap panels 55. As explained in the copending application the follower blades have pitch-angles such that the blades are inclined toward the camming shoe member 535 which operates on the tuck-out flap panel 57.

In this manner the heat activated closure panels are broken, folded and tucked immediately after being raised by its carrier assembly 120 to an upper working level where the tubular container is loaded on its associated mandrel 148. In order to insure good container closure forming and sealing on mandrel caps 149 each mandrel is provided with adjustable mandrel container stops 455 (FIG. 11). Each stop has a spring loaded clip 456 the upper flange thereof is being positionable in one of a series of horizontal slots 457 in bar 458 to correctly locate the container in relation to the bottom face of the mandrel cap. The position of the stop in FIG. 12 of the instant embodiment correctly locates the full quart container with the progressively lower slots 457 arranged to accommodate the remainder of the series of containers. Diagonal ears 459 are provided to engage the interior corners of the container. Stop tabs 461 on both the leading and trailing side of the mandrel engage the upper edges of the container and can be adjusted to insure good container bottom forming and squareness.

Pressure sealing assembly For the purpose of completing the bottom closure after the closure has been folded and tucked to the form shown in FIG. 16, the cycle 128 is provided with a pressure arm sealing assembly 500 at each of the working stations as best seen in FIG. 12. The assembly includes a pressure pad 502, of the general type disclosed in US Patent 3,207,049, issued Sept. 21, 1965 on an application of C. Z. Monroe. This application is assigned to the assignee of the subject application, and the disclosure thereof is incorporated herein by reference.

The pressure pad 502 is resiliently mounted on the support plate 503 which is secured by bolts 505 to the foot portion 506 of pressure sealing arm 508-. As seen in FIG. the arm 508 is of the fork or clevis type, held rigid by brace 509, wherein each brace is keyed to an outer end of pivot pin 526. The central portion of pin 526 is keyed to a roller cam arm 510 extending radially through a rectangular opening 511 in housing 164. The cam arm 510 is fixably retained to pin 526 by clamping block 513, While its inner end is provided with an anti-friction cam roller 512 which rides in a grooved continuous cam track 514 formed in the face of fixed pressure pad cam member 151. The cam 512 is adjustably secured to arm 510 by means of the pin 518 and lock pin 520 arrangement. A

box type support 522, having a cover plate 528, is mounted over opening 511 on rotatable housing 164 by bolts 524, such that the pin 526 is journably supported in aligned openings through the side walls of the box support.

The above described parts form a bell crank lever arrangement such that the assembly 160 revolves, cooperation of the cam track 514 and cam follower 512 causes swinging movement of the bell crank assembly 500 in a radial plane from the position in which it is shown in FIG. 5 to the position in which it is shown in FIG. 12, and vice versa, the pressure pad being moved into and out of registry with the mandrel 148 at the beginning and end respectively of its travel through the arc of cam 530. As seen in FIG. 1, the cam 530 is rigidly affixed to the machine base and its track 532 is provided with an initial short inclined portion that merges with the horizontal track face 532 to smoothly receive the cam roller 538 of the roller assembly 536 mounted on the underside of pressure pad 502. The single roller wheel 538 is rotatably supported on pin 539 journalled in support plate 503.

As soon as the container bottom closure folding is completed by the assembly 126 and while being retained in closed position by means of the cantilevered plate 537, the closure is contacted by the upwardly pivoting pressure pad 502. At this same time the cam roller 538 engages and rolls on the inclined lead-in face 534, and during this initial portion of the pressure cycle, the cam follower 512 reaches a horizontal portion on the cam track 514 that is formed by being relieved on its lower surface a sufficient amount, as shown by dimension D in FIG. 12. The result is that pressure pad 502 is completely supported on fixed cam 530 which is aligned with the path of the principal axis of the mandrel 148.

Referring to FIG. 4, it will be noted that the cam 532 has an arcuate extent, shown by the trace lines defining the 72 arc, wherein the cam track 532 will support the pressure sealing assembly 500 and the cam track 514 will be inactive. The cam follower wheel applies an upward pressure normal to the working surface of the mandrel cap 149 and pad 502 to seal the heated and folded panels of the bottom closure as described and shown in the aforementioned Patent 3,207,049. Each pad has fluid coolant circulating therethrough via inlet and outlet passages, indicated at 546, and connected by means of flexible tubes to the central water manifold 172. As previously mentioned the pressure pads are floatably mounted in their support plates by suitable means, such as by vertical pins 538 having compression springs 549 therearound for example, to upwardly bias the pads into correct sealing contact with the closure wherein they can accommodate to the variations in paperboard caliper and machine tolerances.

In this regard FIGS. 17 and 18 represent a modification of the pressure sealing assembly discussed above, wherein a floating hold down assembly is used to mount the sealing cam 550 on vertical front 551 and back 552 pressure cam posts. In the following description like numerals represent corresponding elements of the basic machine. The lower end of the posts are received in front 553 and back 554 foot brackets secured to the machine base 110 by suitable means, such as bolts 556. Bearings means 557 are mounted in vertical race members 558, 559 to enable the pressure cam posts to be slidably displaceable. Each of the upper ends of the posts has rotatably mounted thereon a cam follower 561 adapted to ride on the cam track 562 of hold down rail 563, bolted or otherwise secured on the periphery of upper housing ring 168 and supported by member 564. The cam followers 561 are eccentrically mounted in holders 566 secured to the pressure cam posts to allow for exact positioning of arcuate cam track 567.

By virtue of the floating cam 550 being rigidly afiixed at each end to posts 551 and 552, such as by bolts 568, it will be appreciated that the vertical distance X measured between the horizontal plane of arcuate cam track 567 and the horizontal plane of upper cam track 562 will have constant value, for all practical purposes. The importance of this fact can be seen when contrasted with the previously described embodiment of the invention wherein the arcuate earn 530 is mounted directly on base 110 as shown in FIG. 1. The result is that due to the thermal expansion of the machine and in particular the unsymmetrical expansion caused by the excess heating of the fixed portions of the machine adjacent plenum chamber 300 produced gapping to occur between the working faces of the mandrels and pressure pads with subsequent inadequate pressure sealing and ultimate failure of the container closures.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 17 and 18 this problem has been uniquely eliminated by the floating cam 550 which is allowed to expand and contract in relation to the base and with the rotating assembly 160. In this manner the cam follower 561 and cam track 567 act to positively hold the pressure pad face in correct spaced relationship as indicated by the clearance dimension Y in FIG. 17, of the order of .012 thousandth of an inch for the instant case. It should be noted that an inclined leadin and exit faces 569 are provided to function in the same manner as inclined face 534 shown in FIG. 4.

The pressure pad assembly in FIG. 17 represents an embodiment similar to the one of FIG. 12 with the addition of a rocker plate member 571 floatingly positioned on pressure pad support 572 by spring biasing means, indicated by spring mounting pins 573. The underside of pressure pad 574 is provided with a central dome shaped rocker button 575 which allows the pad to rock in a 360 manner to insure that the pressure pad bears evenly across the container bottom.

Mandrel stripping operation As the container loaded mandrel approaches the stripping stage 130 the pressure pad is moved out of registry with the mandrel, to its position shown in FIG. 5, and the carrier suction discs 259 are broken of their vacuum preparatory to the 45 fall cycle of the carrier 120. At this point the container is held on the mandrel by the frictional force of the diagonal ears portions 459 of the retainer shoe 455 long enough for the carrier stripper clip 265 to make contact with the top of the container. It should be noted that the retainer shoes 455 also prevents the pressure pad from pulling the container ofi of the mandrel as it is released by the arcuate pressure cam 530.

The carrier 120 is reciprocated downwardly at the start of the fall cycle 130 but the container does not move until the stripper clip 265 contacts the top of the container. In the case of quart size containers shown in FIG. the carrier would move the small distance Z, shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 19, before the clip 265 engages the upper edge of the container. For smaller size containers the distance of travel Z would, of course, progressively increase. As the carrier continues down the container also starts down the mandrel whereby the containers top edge is now located exactly on the trace line 577 at an upper position on the carrier in contradistinction to the carrier loading operation where the bottom closures are located at a lower uniform position on the carrier. The fact that all sizes of containers will be located with their top edges on line 577 means that, because of the constant vertical travel of the carrier, all size containers will arrive at the beginning of the 39 dwell cycle with their top closures at the same uniform elevation. The carrier 120 will continue to rotate in a horizontal plane to the container pick-off guide rails 580, which operates to transfer the container from the carrier 120 to conveyor guide rails 518 of transfer unit 104 for delivery to the filling machine.

What is claimed is:

1. In a continuous motion machine for receiving, treating and discharging a container, the combination comprising:

(a) a support means;

(b) a rotary turret carried on said support means and belng provided with container carrier means for receiving, transporting and discharging containers while on said turret; and

(c) said carrier means operative to receive containers of different capacities with their bottom closure at a uniform level for treatment on said turret and opera tive to discharge the containers from said turret with their top closures at uniform level.

2. The machine on claim 1, wherein:

(a) said container carrier means includes a plurality of vertically reciprocable container carrier assemblies disposed in spaced apart positions about said turret.

3, The machine on claim 2, including:

(a) means for reciprocating each carrier assembly between container receiving, treating and discharging positions at predetermined intervals.

4. The machine of clam 3, wherein:

(a) said means for moving the carrier assemblies comprises a cam operated means.

5. The machine of claim 4, wherein said cam operated means includes:

(a) a stationary barrel cam mounted on said support means;

(b) a multiple lever-link apparatus connected to said container carrier, and

(c) a cam follower connected to the pivot pin of said lever-link apparatus and being disposed in operative engagement with said barrel cam.

6. The machine of claim 5, wherein:

(a) said multiple lever-link apparatus operative such that the vertical travel of said carrier is a multiple of the vertical travel of said cam follower by a ratio of substantially three to one.

7. The machine of claim 4, including:

(a) means for disabling said cam operated means to raise selected ones of said container carriers to a fail-safe position in the event of loss of power supplied to the machine.

8. The machine of claim 7, wherein said means for disabling said cam operated means including:

(a) a stationary barrel cam mounted on said support means,

(b) an upwardly biased cam follower disposed in operative engagement with said barrel cam for controlling the elevation of the container carriers, and

(c) said barrel cam having a retractable cam segment for altering the contour of said barrel cam.

9. The machine of claim 8 wherein:

(a) air pressure operative means to override said upwardly biased earn followers engaging said cam segment to prevent retraction thereof, and

(b) said cam segment engaging followers operative to retract said segment when the air pressure supplied to said machine drops below a predetermined value.

10. The machine of claim 9, including:

(a) sensing means operable solely in response to retraction of said cam segment for stopping the rotation of said turret.

11. In a container treating machine,

(a) a support means;

(b) a rotary turret carried on said support means and being provided with a plurality of pressure sealing means for pressure sealing the container bottom closures while on said turret;

(c) first means operative to position said pressure sealing means adjacent the container closure subsequent to being heated and formed; and

(d) second means operative to override said first means to position said pressure sealing means into registry with the container closure wherein controlled symmetrical pressure is applied to the container closure.

12. The machine of claim 11, wherein:

(a) said second means being floatable on said machine wherein it is unaffected by variations in expansion and contraction between said support means and said turret.

13. In a container treating machine,

(a) a support means,

(b) a rotary turret carried on said support means having containers positioned thereon,

(c) a plurality of sealing pressure pads mounted on said turret by radially pivoting arms,

((1) a first cam means for pivoting said arms during each rotation of said turret to raise each said pressure pad to a position adjacent to container closure subsequent to being heated and formed, and

(e) a second cam means operative sequentially on each pressure pad overriding the action of said first cam means to move said pad into registry with the container closure wherein symmetrical pressure is applied to the container closure.

14. The machine of claim 13, wherein:

(a) said second cam means being floatable on said machine wherein it adjusts automatically to variations in expansion and contraction between said support means and said turret.

15. The machine of claim 13 wherein:

(a) said second cam means being supported by an external cam on said turret by eccentrically mounted followers such that the distance between the faces of said external cam and said second cam means can be adjusted for proper container closure sealing pressure.

16. The machine of claim 13 wherein:

(a) said second cam means having an inclined cam track lead-in portion to engage a cam follower on said pressure pad prior to said second cam means overriding said first cam means.

17. The machine of claim 15, wherein:

(a) said second cam means is supported by parallel vertical posts suspended from said external cam followers; and

(b) said vertical posts having their lower ends slidably supported in race members fixedly mounted on the support means.

18. The machine of claim 13 wherein:

(a) each said arm is in the form of a bell-crank lever having a cam follower connected to its radially inner arm portion and being disposed in operative engagement with said first cam means.

19. The machine of claim 13 wherein:

(a) said first cam means is a barrel cam, and

(b) said second cam means is an arcuate cam segment concentric with said barrel cam and aligned with the circular path of the containers.

20. The machine of claim 19 wherein:

(a) said barrel cam has its lower portion relieved along the arc of said arcuate cam to thereby inactivate said barrel cam during the pressure sealing operation.

21. In a continuous motion machine for heating, forming and sealing the bottom end closure panels of thermoplastic coated containers and combination comprising:

(a) a support means;

(b) a rotary assembly carried by said support means and being provided with a plurality of vertically spaced heating and sealing means for sequential heatmg and sealing operations on the bottom end closure panels of a thermoplastic coated container;

(c) forming means carried on said support means for forming the bottom end closure panels; and

(d) container carrier means carried on said assembly and associated with each pair of said heating and sealing means for receiving and moving a container between said heating and sealing means and wherein said forming means is operative on each container between the heating and sealing operations.

22. The machine as defined in claim 21, wherein:

(a) each said heating means being disposed at a first 16 lower working level and said sealing means being disposed at a second upper working level; and

(b) said forming means being disposed at said second upper working level.

23. The machine as defined in claim 21, wherein said container carrier means includes:

(a) means for receiving containers of different capacities with their bottom closures at a uniform level; and

(b) means for discharging containers of ditferent capacities with their top closures at a uniform level.

24. The machine as defined in claim 21, wherein said sealing means includes:

(a) first cam means responsive to the rotation of the assembly to move said sealing means from an inoperative position to a position for engagement with second cam means; and

(b) said second cam means also responsive to the rotation of the assembly operative on said sealing means in its second position overriding said first cam means for applying sealing pressure to the container closure.

25. The machine as defined in claim 21, wherein each said sealing means includes:

(a) radially pivoting arms on said rotary assembly having pressure pads on the outer portion thereof;

(b) a first cam means for pivoting said arms to a position adjacent the closure subsequent to the heating and forming operations; and

(c) a second cam means operative on each pressure pad overriding the action of said first cam means to raise said pad into sealing registry with the closure.

26. The machine as defined in claim 25, wherein said first cam means includes:

(a) a stationary barrel cam mounted on said support means, and

(h) each said arm is a bell-crank lever having a cam follower connected on its radially inner arm portion and being disposed in operative engagement with said barrel cam.

27. The machine as defined in claim 26, wherein said second cam means includes:

(a) an arcuate cam track mounted on said support means in alignment with the path of the containers, and

(b) a cam follower on each said pressure pad and being disposed in operative engagement with said arcuate cam track during the pressure sealing operation.

28. The machine as defined in claim 21, wherein said container means includes:

(a) a plurality of vertically reciprocable container carrier assemblies disposed in spaced apart positions about said assembly, and

(b) means for reciprocating each carrier assembly between said heating and sealing means.

29. The machine as defined in claim 28, wherein:

(a) said means for moving said carrier assembly comprise cams operated means.

30. The machine as defined in claim 29, wherein said cams operated means includes:

(a) a stationary cam mounted on said support means,

(b) a multiple lever-link apparatus connected to said container carrier, and

(c) a cam follower connected to the pivotal means of said lever-link apparatus and being disposed in operative engagement with said stationary cam.

31. In a continuous motion machine for heating, forming and sealing the bottom end closure panels of thermoplastic coated containers the combination comprising:

(a) support means;

(b) rotary feeding means carried on said support means for feeding tubular container blanks successively onto a rotary turret;

(c) said rotary turret carried on said support means and being provided with vertically spaced heating and sealing means;

17 18 (d) single forming means carried on said support References Cited 3 222? 'ner carrier means carried 0 aid rotar tur UNITED STATES PATENTS e a1 n S y 3,196,760 7/1965 Terry 93-441 ret for successively receiving and delivering a container to said heating, forming and sealing means; and

(f) said container carrier means operative to deliver the BERNARD STICKNEY, Primary Examiner containers to discharging means wherein the containers are maintained in an upright positon during the entire operation. 10 53-379 3,212,413 10/1965 Allen et al. 93-441 US. Cl. X.R. 

